Automobile-signal.



W. E. ADAMS AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. APPLICATION-QED APR; 2. 19!].

/ 1,258,850. Patented Mar.12,191'&

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L; .BYhi: Anal zer-a ill UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

WILLIAM E. ADAMS, on em, PAUL, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL.

To all wjwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM i2. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residin at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and tate of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Automobile Signal, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates-to signal devices for automobiles and other vehicles, and the object is to provide an efiicient signal device, which when mounted on a vehicle may readily and easily be operated by the driver or motor man so as to indicate when the vehicle is about to be turned to right or left, and thus by the signal warn pedestrians or drivers of other vehicles to keep out of the way where the turning vehicle is takinga new direction, as when turning from a main road or street into a crossing road or street. To make the signal more effective as may be required under certain circumstances, I make it in duplicate, that is, a right and a left signal at the rear end of the vehicle and a right and left signal near the front end of the vehicle.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile equip 38d with my signal deviceand having the oot board and one of its rear wheels removed. Fi lin e aa Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear end elevationof the automobile shown in Fig. 1,with a small portion of the top added. Fig. 4is a detail top view of the right side signal hand on the dash-board and-the portion of the board on which it is mount-- ed. Fig. 5 is a view of the signal arm showing a modified construction of the part shown in Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is detail top view of one of the rear signal hands and adjacent part of the vehicle. Fig. 7 is a rear ele\a tion of the hand in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a bottom View of the electric switch member near the right hand end of the dash board. Fig. 9 is mainly an enlr ged portion of the right side hand on the dash board.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, '1 designates the body, 2 the front wh els, 3 the rear wheels, 4; the dash board, f. the wind shieldzand G the steering device of an automobile equipped with my signal dev ces. Pivoted at 7 near each end of the dashboard is the figure of a human hand 8L or 811 which is normally held by a spring 9 against a stop 10 and thereby in vertical 2 is an enlarged cross-section on the position, as shown to the left in Fig.2. Slid- Speclflcation of Letters Yatent. Patented 1\I' 1.r.' 12 ,'1918. Application filed. April 2, 1917. SerialNo. 159,070. I

able in bearings 11 and 12L and 12R on; the y dash board is an actuating rod-l3 havinga handle let. \Vhen said handleis against the bearing 12R the hand SR is held in .horizontal outward position by the adjacent and of the rod 13; when the handle leis against the bearing 12L the hand SL is pushed outward to horizontal position while the hand 8R is held upright by the spring 9, and if the handle 14 is moved about midway between the bearings 12L and 12B and released the springs 9 and the hands will move the rod 13 with its handle 14 justmidway between the bearing, as latX,'and will hold. it there against accidental displacement, be-

cause when the two hands being spring-held against the studs 10 they are on'e close .to each end of the rod 13 in idle position.

In Figs. 2 and 4: is-shown .how ea h hand, SR and SL has an aperturelo in its-palm,

and in said aperture is fixed an incandescent lamp 16, having a red bulb .projectin beyondboth sides of the hand-.so as to- -t. row red light upon both side's of it',' the hand being thin and normally white so as to show well up also by-daylight. {In Fig. 5: is shown that said hand maybe a hollow connected by wires'22 (see Fig. 2) with'onepole of an electric battery 23-, which may be located in any suitable. cavity ofthebody 1, the other two wires 24 extend to the other pole of the battery, but on the way they pass through two more electric lamps 25 in hands 26 at the rear of the vehicle (see Fig. 3).

Each hand 26 is permanently fixed in horizontal position on a hollow post 27 which is secured at 28 to the rearend of the vehicle body. The wires 24 may pass inside each post'or alon a groove in it.

'In Fig. 2, 29 designate strips or tubes which may conceal and protect the wiring underneath the floor of the vehicle, though the wires may also be otherwise concealed in the structure itself, especially if the signal is provided for at the time the vehicle is being built. In Figs. 6 and 7 is indicated that the able actuating rod arrang hand 26 maybe painted on a. shield 26 and lighted u hand may e painted in outlines on a lass 26" which protects the cavityin the shie d from snow and hail. -But in Fig. 3 each hand ma also be regarded as a hollow glass han similar to that in Fig. 5 or it may be flat like that in Fig. 4.

In the use of the invention when, the vehicle is a large automobile, for instance, and

another vehicle comes close up behind it just 7 before the 'lar e one is to turn the one behind may not e able to see the front hands 8, but will be informed by the hands 26, while-vehicles ahead of the large one are signaled by the hands 8. Hence the front and rear hands are of value for service si- 'multaneously but it is obvious that for small or ordinary vehicles the front hands alone maty answer ever purpose.

n the actual operation when the driver or operator approaches a corner where he wishes to turn to the right he simply throws the handle 14 to the right until it stops against bracket 12R and the two right hand lamps will be li hted and will illuminate the front and rear and at the side of the vehicle and the front hand will be turned outward in a pointing position. The same will be the case with the side hands and lamps if the handle 14; be pushed to the left; and when the turning movement is completed, the handle 14 is moved near the position 14X and released, with the result already" by a red bulb lamp,25,or the.

its ends one of the hands into horizontal it serve as a signal of intended change in the course of movement ofvthe vehicle, said rod being held in either of its outwardly pushed positions by the pressure of the signal' hand and the spring acting on same.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of two mechanical. hands pivotally mounted to swing in avertical plane near'the opposite sides of the vehicle, a spring holdin each hand normally in upright position, as idable actuatin rod arranged to act directly against and pus alternately with either-one of its ends one of the hands into horizontal position out from the vehicle so as to make it serve as a signal of intended change in the course of movement of the vehicle; said acting-end of the rod passing upon the hand above the pivot so as -to hold the hand in horizontal position until the rod is retracted. by the operator, the outward folded hands and their springs acting on the rod to hold it projected until it is partly retracted by the operator.

. 3. The combination with a vehicle, of two mechanical hands pivotally mounted near the opposite sides of thevehicle, a spring holding each hand normally in uprigl'ip position, a slidable actuating rod arranged to act directly against and push alternatelv with either one of its ends one of the hands into horizontal position out from thevehicle so as' to make it serve as a signal of intended change in the course of mo vementof the vehicle; said acting end of the rod passing upon the hand above the pivot so as to hold the hand in horizontal position and to be engaged and held against accidental movement by the hand until the rod is retracted by the operator, means for stopping the spring action on the hands when the hands reach the upright position, said hands when in upright position being held by said springs-one against each end of the operating rod so as to hold the rod in'normal position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

- WILLIAM E. ADAMS. 

